Details

A welcome return to the Gibson family for 2016, the Gibson Les Paul Studio Faded. Stripped back aesthetics and careful design keep the price low but the style stays as classy as ever. This is the perfect guitar if you want a real USA-built gig machine without breaking the bank.

Classic design without frills

The ethos of this guitar is simple: serious tone and playability at a not-so-serious cost. Previous incarnations of the Gibson Les Paul Studio Faded have been popular with intermediate players as a first-choice guitar, as well as with professional guitarists as a high-quality backup. It's the combination of every feature that makes this guitar perfect for both of those scenarios, as well as plenty more.

The body of the Les Paul Studio Faded may look different from the flashy-finished models of recent years, but it's essentially the same classic recipe that we've seen for years. A mahogany body meets a carved maple top to help create the iconic Les Paul tone - big but with incredible clarity. There's no denying that the finishing techniques used look great across any of the four finishes here. Each look echoes the "Faded" moniker in a subtle but noticeable way, giving the impression of an aged, but well looked after, instrument.

Upgraded electronics

A huge part of any guitars tone is down to pickup choice and often it can make or break just how impressive the model is. A pair of Gibson Burstbucker Pro humbuckers feature here, a great supercharged choice for a stripped-back guitar. Built to replicate the warm and iconic tone of PAF humbuckers using Alnico V magnets, both of these humbuckers really kick out. The bridge pickup is overwound slightly to provide seriously biting lead tones when required and of course both pickups are potted to prevent any microphonic feedback. The expected Les Paul control layout of 2 volume and 2 tone pots is present, as well as a 3 way switch. This tried and tested set up gives you a lot to work with and many tones are achievable with the use of this control system.

Premium features at an amazing price

Other elements of this guitar are of surprisingly high spec too, some of which you might not expect. The Gibson Les Paul Studio Faded features a rosewood fingerboard for 2016, an addition that many will welcome with open arms. Other 2016 Traditional series improvements include traditional neck width, traditional nut width (1.695") and a GraphTech nut, all in all making a great, traditional spec, guitar.